Advocate Good Samaritan nurses engage Springfield lawmakers

Downers Grove, Ill. - Nurses from Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital came to the State Capitol in Springfield May 1 to talk to legislators about issues affecting health care and the nursing profession. Nearly 90 direct care nurses from across the Advocate system met with dozens of state legislators, including Senate President John Cullerton, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin; senators Suzy Glowiak and Tom Cullerton; and representatives Deb Conroy, Deanne Mazzochi and Anne Stava-Murray as part of Advocate's annual Nurse Advocacy Day.

Participating nurses talked with legislators about the need to pass a robust Medicaid budget by the May 31 legislative deadline and the need to prioritize access to care issues facing the legislature. The aim of the nurses was to amplify the voices of bedside nurses, ensuring that legislators hear from people who care for patients every day.

Susan Okuno-Jones, Chief Nurse Executive at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, thanked the legislators for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet.

"We truly appreciate when our local elected officials take the time to meet with us and talk about what we know and care about most - patient safety, quality and empowering nurses and health providers," she said. "We're glad these decisions aren't being made in a vacuum and that our voices were heard."

Nurse Advocacy Day is hosted by Advocate's Nurse Advocacy Council (NAC), a self-governed councilcomposed of frontline nurses that works to educate and empower the largest nursing audience in Illinois: Advocate's more than 11,000 professional nurses. Advocate is the only known health care provider in the state to provide frontline nurses with this opportunity, thus giving them a stronger voice on legislative issues in Springfield and Washington D.C.

This is the group's 14th year going to Springfield.